Welcome to Vashon-Maury Island, a rural paradise located in the Puget Sound just west of Seattle and only a short, breathtakingly beautiful ferry ride away.  There are gorgeous views of Mt Rainier and the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges along with many other pastoral and natural settings.  The Island is approximately 13 miles long by 4 miles at its widest point with its highest elevation about 400 feet.
 
The Island is blessed with many beautiful areas in which to live.  You can find many homes with beautiful territorial views, views of the mountains and/or water, and homes on the waterfront.  Overall, you will tend to find the greatest appreciation in value with waterfront property, followed by view property, and then inland property.  Other areas with greater appreciation potential include the Burton Peninsula surrounded by Quartermaster Harbor, the north shore of Quartermaster Harbor facing south, and the Westside Highway near the intersection of Cove Road.  However, there are many other lovely areas of the Island that can be very appealing as well.

There are homes here of every style, from old craftsman bungalows to beach houses, Tudors and farms.  You can find manufactured homes as low as $150,000, and stunning 4,000 sq foot estates for $1.5 million.  The majority of 3 bedroom homes are in the $400,000 range, while it is still possible to find waterfront property in the $200,000 range.  A great deal of the Island is kept to 5 and 10 acre parcels due to water and septic constraints which keeps the population down.  Land use is restricted by King County as we depend upon our own aquifer for water.

If you want to explore Vashon to see if it is right for you, here are some highlights:
Outdoor recreation is plentiful and you will see lots of folks walking, jogging, bicycling and horse back riding.  A park in Dockton (on adjoining Maury Island) accommodates small kids who want to swing or climb a jungle gym.  Quartermaster Marina harbors fishing boats and upscale yachts, but those with smaller boats, canoes and kayaks can launch them off the ramp at Burton Acres Park.  Kids join 4-H clubs, swim in the public pool in summer, become equestrians, play soccer and baseball. 

If you are looking for souvenirs specific to Vashon to take home, or give to friends, Wax Orchards produces health-conscious products from Washington farmers riding the health-food wave by supplying fruit-based, low-fat preserves, spreads, chutneys and even chocolate sauces to spas and stores throughout the country.  Also, the Vashon Winery produces a combination of wines from grapes grown in eastern Washington and grapes grown locally. Their specialties are big, soft Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots in red wines, and crisp but smooth Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc in white.  They also produce limited amounts of European-styled cider.  Visiting and tasting season: Saturdays, noon to four, Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

If you are looking for good beaches, here are a few I can recommend:

m Lisabeula Park on Vashon's west side draws kayakers and beach walkers, and is ideal for watching the sunset over the water as it dips behind the Olympic Mountain range.
 
m One of the better beach walks is at the historic Point Robinson lighthouse on Maury Island, with views of Mt. Rainier and Seattle.  You can watch the large ships as they traverse this stretch of water. 

m KVI Beach is just plain great for a picnic, a walk with a friend or a nap in the sun.
 
m Jensen Point on the Burton Peninsula has a boathouse where you can rent kayaks.

If you just want to have fun and celebrate Americana:

m The time of year around the 4th of July is a special time on the Island.  We have a fireworks display at Quartermaster Harbor to rival that of Seattle's.
 
m And there is the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival where you will find an abundance of great food, refreshments and fun times for all ages!  Some highlights include:  The Grand Parade, the Classic Car parade, the K2 Fun Run, Kiwanis Pancake breakfast, music throughout the day, Saturday street dances, and fabulous food & vendor booths to pour over.

If you'd like to spend some time here:

There are a number of B&Bs and small country inns - and an international hostel.
You can even rent one of the old lighthouse keeper's dwellings at Pt. Robinson on a weekly basis - waterfront with views of Mt. Rainier!
 
And a couple of my favorite restaurants are:

m The Hardware Store Restaurant - known for 'great good food'

m Gusto Girls Restaurant - a true Vashon experience